Sustainability

How do we fit into the natural environment? How can our daily habits and decisions help reduce damage to it and contribute to its restoration? These questions frame students’ exploration of climate change, biodiversity, and the many varieties of solutions. Youth movements and leaders are highlighted. In April, the ninth-graders lead a school-wide observance of Earth Day. 

How does a whole school become more sustainable, and what does that mean? That is the driving question behind this course. It’s assumed that students will enter with different degrees of experience and knowledge, especially about foundational topics such as climate change, biodiversity, environmental justice, and the social structures that shape our impact on the environment. Whatever their starting point, students will deepen their understanding of these topics. 

An important resource will be the baseline report of DA’s carbon emissions that was generated in 2022. It is anticipated that, by the time this course begins, the school will have made measurable commitments to becoming more sustainable. The students in this course will develop and launch strategies to achieve that goal. In the process, they will develop skills for real world communication and planning. They will break down big topics and examine them from scientific, mathematical, psychological, and financial perspectives. Interdisciplinary collaboration is at the heart of the experience. 

Did you know that lawns are the most extensively cultivated crop in the United States? They produce no food for human consumption and very little for other organisms; they are ecological dead zones. But it doesn’t have to be that way! In this course, you’ll compare these landscapes with the ones Europeans first encountered in North America. You’ll see how domesticated animals, introduced plant species, and loss of indigenous knowledge caused the depletion of local ecosystems. On field trips, you’ll visit relatively undisturbed and restored landscapes and learn from experts about their sustainability, resilience and benefits to human health. Through research, you’ll identify native plants and the diversity of local wildlife they can support. For the final project, the class will develop and implement a plan to restore a small parcel on the Upper School campus to resemble a habitat native to this region. These actions will launch wider sustainability initiatives to increase wildlife habitat across our campus.  

Students with an interest in a particular element of sustainability may choose to delve into that topic through an Independent Study or internship. 

Through Durham Academy's Independent Learning program, sophomores, juniors and seniors have the opportunity to design a course for themselves. Though they work independently, students in this program are supported by teachers and peers. The student-designed course is comparable to standard courses in rigor, daily attention and volume of time invested (5-7 hours/week). It culminates in a project or performance that is shared with the community in a form appropriate to the topic. 

Students may also explore such interests via an internship. The Upper School's student development & career exploration counselor is happy to help students explore options for internships related to sustainability and a variety of other interests.